Altech expects to have a new COO within a matter of weeks, which will fill the position vacated by former Telkom CEO Jeffrey Hedberg in January.
CEO Craig Venter said yesterday that he had initially given himself between six and 12 months to find a new COO, and that six months had now passed. He says the role is strategic and it is vital that it is filled by the right candidate.
Venter says he has put a lot of focus into filling the vacancy and has held several interviews and meetings with candidates and is evaluating the right decision. "I can't afford to make a mistake."
Hedberg, who joined the company last April, filled a position that had been vacant since Andy Baker left more than a year previously. Venter says Hedberg "didn't work out".
However, Venter does not want to be under pressure to fill the slot with the wrong candidate, as it is a critical vacancy and a strategic role. He adds that he has a plan that should be executed within weeks, and not months.
Venter has said the new COO will come from inside the company to ensure a cultural fit. In the meantime, the operational side has been split and is being handled by CFO John Carstens and group executive for human resources and industrial relations Johan Klein, as well as Venter, to avoid a vacuum.
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